A Wolf In Sheep's Skin
by c.y.lawless
Summary: " Honestly, Kakashi Hatake didn't know where the hell he was, how he got there, and what his name was. One thing was certain, however,- someone was going to pay." ON HIATUS!
1. Lost Shinobi

_I'm Hatake Kakashi. Things I like and things I hate? I don't feel like telling you that. My dreams for the future? Never really thought about that. As for my hobbies... I have lots of hobbies._

_\- Hatake Kakashi_

oooooooooooooooooooooooo

" Maa, maa, this is weird."  
In the middle of a lone forest sat one silver-haired oddity. He was scratching the back of his head in seemingly harmless confusion, but if you could see beneath his vest- his muscles were tense. Probably in preparation for strangling whoever did this to him. The wildlife passed around him cautiously enough, they could smell some amount of killer intent working its way through his body.

" I'm going to castrate, no carve my way through whoever knocked me out and put me here. " A creepy sound worked its way up his throat. Every animal within a ten-mile radius instantly freaked out.

Then, Kakashi put his head down between his shoulders. A heavy sigh. He just had the oddest feeling that he was kidnapped during an intense battle. A battle where he almost died, and his friends all died. Honestly, Kakashi didn't know where the hell he was, how he got there, and what his name was. "Daisuke, Ryo, Amari, Kukai..." None of them felt right on his tongue, as his name should be. Damn it, had whoever knocked him out also inadvertly damaged his memory?  
Something rustled in the bushes. The masked ninja immediately froze, his hand reaching into his weapons pouch. With a subtle flick of his wrist, the kunai was sent flying away from his hand.

" Ow! Ow! Im sorry! I'm sorry! " A young boy screamed. Pinned to the trunk of a tree was a small kid about six summers old, looking as scared as a rabbit. A small frown appeared on Kakashi's face, for the clothes the boy wore weren't anything like what he was used to- not that he could know. " What are you doing here?" he asked not unkindly. The kid didn't jolt or looked surprised at finding a kunai almost stuck into him, at all. So, not a civilian. Then, Kakashi caught sight of something odd, behind the boy. It was, wait wait wait, was that a-tail?!

Kakashi instantly resumed his masked demeanor, amiably smiling at the young fox. So, he had to assess if he was a threat or not- though truthfully Kakashi had seen far too much for his young age to ever be considered normal. But as for the kid, something told him to not hold his traits against him. Something in him was pained to see the young fox. His smile turned weak.

" Ah, I wandered away from my friends..."

Kakashi looked down at him again. " Are they close?" That question might have sounded creepy had it not been for the concerned tone of the young man's voice.

" Ah, yes, I should really be getting back now." The kid turned around and stumbled along in one direciton for a moment...then paused. Taking a moment to sniff the air, he stumbled along in the other.

" May I help you?"

" ...thanks."

" Shippo, Shippo?!" A frenzied Kagome cried out, " where are you?!" Nearby, her dog companion gave a characteristic scowl whenever it came to things such as the young fox demon.

" Feh, probably got himself stuch inside a rabbit hole." Kagome gave him a black glare before moving onto the next clump of bushes.

Miroku sighed. " At this rate we'll never be able to find him." Sango slugged his arm and whispered. " Don't let Kagome hear. She's as worried as a mother bear." 


	2. The Copy Nin, At Your Service

_Some people want power, and they get mad if they don't get it. They take their fury out on everyone else. You don't want it, it becomes you._

_\- Hatake Kakashi_

oooooooooooooooooooooo

If Shippo had ever wanted to be a grownup, it was now. That man that had led him out of the forest was pretty cool, if you discounted the fact that he very well may turn out to be an assassin. The way he talked was funny though, as though he had a nasal problem( though that may be due to his mask more than anything.) Shippo soaked up the warm rays of the sun and the scent of wildflowers along his feet. Kagome and the others could stand to wait a little bit, he had to learn some stuff from the masked man first.

On the outside he seemed to be a very ordinary man. But he would give away little things as he talked, such as how he had amnesia, he'd been dumped here with no way home. Not to mention that look in his eyes that told of a young child that had seen too much in his time. The thing was, Shippo was certain, he didn't really mean to flinch towards his hip when something startled him. As if looking for something. And his sense of loyalty was strong, he could tell.

" Shippo." the young fox snapped out of his reverie.

" We're here, and I'm going to go now. You should go back to your friends too." In the distance, they could hear the sounds of Kagome. Kakashi gave his customary eyes smile to Shippo.

" Well, Sayonar-"

" W-wait! Where are you going?" Shippo practically screamed. " You promised to teach me some cool knife throwing techniques, so I can become strong like you!"

The man stopped, turned very slowly, and stared him down critically. " The ways of a ninja are not open to ones as young as you. You have to pass a test first."

" WHAT?"

" Shippo?! Where are you?"

" Well, that's my cue!" And Kakashi started walking away. Before he could get very far though, Shippo latched onto his leg.

" PLease, Please,,please, please!" The one-eyed ninja sighed.

" SHippo? Pleading does not a ninja make."

" Yes Yes Yes Yes. Let's go meet inuyasha and the others!"

ooooooooooooooooooooooooo

" Inuyashsa stop doing that!" Kagome wispered to the half-yokai. Said devil grumped and decided to settle for whispered curses on Shippo's name. Sango giggled, not noticing the slightest bit of distubance from the bushes next to them . Miroku, being a monk however, sensed some aura of a great magnitude.

Shippo watched them carefully, before, when they were all looking in the opposite direction, leaped onto Sango.

" Ta-da!" Shippo screamed.

Kagome screamed. Miroku screamed. Sango screamed. Inuyasha yelled, " YOU LITTLE- !"

Just as he was to punch Shippo's head, however, something stopped him. A yong man the age of 26 fell out of the bushes in a feeble position. He had silvery wi=hite hair, a strong jaw, and hardened muscled. Not to mention that mask over his face. But as soon as he saw them, he waved comically from his face-plant on the ground.

The rest of the group didn't know whether to defend or laugh. But as soon as Miroku caught wind of his weapons pouch and tanto strapped onto his back, he could tell he was a ninja.

" It's an assassin!"

The group hurriedly gathered into a formation and pulled their weapons out. Kakashi just smiled, as he was soon surrounded. 


	3. I'm Not Your Typical Jounin

_Lesson number one: Taijustu_

_\- Hatake Kakashi_

Kakashi mask smiled as he was soon surrounded. He eyed the man at the front, Miroku was it? His lazy demeanor masked all traces of tension in his body as he faced off against the angry hanyou and his team.

" What do you seek here?" He asked with his eyes narrowed.

Kakashi looked thoughtful for a second, then shrugged. " I guess you would call it information."

" We are a simple group of travelers, we have no information for a ninja." Kagome replied. Shippo just whimpered and looked at his masked friend pleadingly. The jounin, however, turned an uncaring eye towards him, ' you didn't tell your friends, and now you just expect me to run away?'

Shippo blanched, in fear for him.

" Ohh, but you do, I seek fairly common knowledge, about a certain village of ninja and a group of travelers. " Kakashi said, wagging his finger. He could only hope that his team of students were safe. Sakura, Naruto, must have been facing off against Sasuke right now. He didn't know how he remembered the war-torn landscape that he came from, but that, and the names closest to his heart, Sakura, Naruto, Sasuke, and Konoha, were all that he knew. Team Inuyasha of course, didn't know the group of travelers he was talking about were his friends and automatically assumed the worst.

Sango's eyes widened, and with a speed that was reminiscent to a chuunin, locked on her Hiraikotsu and threw it at him. Within a fraction of a second the boomerang was headed straight for Kakashi's neck.

The silver-haired jounin simply ducked under the thing, allowing it to fly straight over his head. " Now was that really necessary?" He chided gently with a gentle eye-smile.

Sango's eyes narrowed. " I will not allow you to come near us assasin!" She yelled with a forceful determination and Kakashi had to give points for her bravery, that indeed, although the girl was nowhere near a typical jounin's level, she still was formidable. And he knew that he was just provoking them to kill him, but he didn't really care. He would have fun here while he still could.

" But, if I wanted to seek information about a group of travelers, I doubt that an experienced monkey with a sword, a young boy with a wind tunnel, two girls who barely know how to really use their weapons and a fox demon could really stop me." He craned his neck to the side to avoid an arrow shot from Kagome's bow.

" Listen here, boy." Kagome snarled at the masked man." I may not be the most deadly of our group, and Inuyasha may really be a monkey with a sword," " HEy!"" BUT, we're more than enough of a match for a common ninja."

It was at this that Kakashi leveled a very intimidating smirk at them and tilted his head in a lazy way.

" Now who says I'm common?"

An arrow fired. And lodged itself in his chest.

He promptly disappeared in a poof of smoke.

Inuyasha's eyes widened, and before he or any of their group could react, he felt the sharp sting of a boot heel against his back. As he was promptly smashed through a tree, the masked man got up and dusted is face off.

" Lesson One: Taijustsu"


	4. Three Lessons of A Competent Ninja

_A ninja must see underneath the underneath._  
\- _Hatake Kakashi_

" Inuyasha!" Kagome screamed. Kakashi sensed a dark aura to his right.

' That monk!' Kakashi spun around and saw Miroku as he threw several of his Sutra at him.

The former Anbu captain leapt into the air and casually flipped around to land in a tree. He caught a glimpse of Shippo blanching in astonishment. He probably didn't think the ninja was any match for an angry hanyou, although he was still frightened out of his wits. Kakashi sent him a wink, which only proved to infuriate Kagome more.

" Hiraikotsu!"

Kakashi's head snapped around to the direction he heard the voice. " What?!"

He barely registered the sight of Sango's massive boomerang before it plowed straight through his perch.

He winced in pain as he hit the ground. Luckily for him, he was no average jounin and the boomerang only scratched him. He rolled with it and got to his feet quickly.

A shift in the air caught his attention, and he plucked an arrow out of the air. Kakashi looked towards Kagome with a comical pout. " You could have hit me!" He mocked. Kagome sweat-dropped, _' Is he insulting me?' _

" Ha!" Came the sound of Sango's Hiraikotsu as it aimed down at Kakashi in an attempt to cleave him head to toe. Kakashi just sighed and casually sidestepped the boomerang; he put his foot down on it, preventing it from movie further. Sango didn't even blink before she had her backup tanto out at him. Suddenly, a kunai appeared in Kakashi's hand and he flicked it at Sango. It hit her shoulder.

They both lept back, Sango gasping in pain.

Miroku cursed.

" Wind Tunnel!" His every intention was to suck the jounin in, and defeat the assassin. Kakashi sighed, now how was he going to get out of this one?

Putting his fingers up to his face, he smirked intimidatingly and made a hand sign.

" Lesson Two: Genjutsu. "

Now in his place, appeared a certain fox kid whom Miroku was too busy to notice was sitting on Kagome's shoulder. _' Shippo!'_

He immediately yanked back his hand and covered it, in his haste, he forgot all about the masked man. The silverette transformed quickly back and body-flickered behind Miroku, chopping his hand over his neck and silencing him.

Kakashi laughed but it soon died down when he realized he was surrounded. Sango on his left, Kagome on his right, Kirara in front, and Inuyasha on his back. Shippo, was still looking as frightened as a rabbit.

" Well, this is a predicament isn't it." He said with his usual laziness.

Inuyasha growled, before snorting. " Tell us what you want with this group of travelers before we kill you!" A heartbeat, then.

" Nah! I think I'll keep that info to myself!" Kakashi exclaimed.

" Feh! Have it your way!" Inuyasha growled before moving in to tackle the silverette. Kakashi's eyes glimmered with mischievousness, something that was not lost on the waking up Miroku.

" Inuyasha! Don't!" Miroku rasped, but he was too late.

Before he could react, Inuyasha felt two hands wrap around his ankles, dragging him neck-deep into the dirt. A menacing cackle filled the air.

" Lesson Number Three: Ninjutsu."

" Wait!" a voice suddenly pierced the air.

* * *

Yes, the authoress gave me permission to use parts of her story, her ideas in mine

\- MillenniumCount


	5. Start of A Strange Fellowship

_I was dangerously close to becoming Hokage..._

\- Hatake Kakashi

" It looks you guys lose, " Kakashi said in a bored voice.

The inu group gulped as they all came to the realization, that yes indeed, they lost.

In that instant, the cocoon of dirst surrounding Inuyasha was lifted out of the ground and released.

" Wait!" A shrill, young voice called out.

" Shippo?! Get away from him, " Sango yelled to the young fox that had appeared right next to the masked man.

Kakashi stared at him to challenge him and see what he would do. Shippo glared and Kagome while simultaneously giving Kakashi the impression of a kid with a man crush.

" He's innocent, he's not the assassin you all think he is!"

" What?! Feh, go get your head pounded by acorns again? He's obviously here up to no good." Inuyasha snarled while cleaning himself off.

" Yes, why?." Kakashi made no move to help him, he was too enjoying his falling face right now...the bastard. Oh well, Revenge is Sweet.

" B-because he told me back in the forest that he was just looking for info on his friends!"

" WHat?!" The inu group was silent after Inuyasha's outburst, looking instead at Kakashi in a new light.

" B-ut why?" Kagome fumbled, staring at Kakashi with wide, disbelieving eyes.

Kakashi leveled her with a blank stare, " YOu cant figure it out?"

Kagome and the rest of the group, including INuysaha, who was still getting stuck pieces of dirt off his shirt, stared confusedly at former anbu captain. Kakashi sighed, then perked up with a brilliant eye smile. " It was all so I could have some fun!"

Everyone promptly fell over.

Inuyasha blinked stupidly, so then...you don't know where your friends are?"

Kakashi leveled him with a sad stare. " Yes, unfortunately."

" Then, will you help us find Naraku? In exchange we will look for your friends. " Sango said timidly. Kakashi smiled at her as Inuyasha went on a rant of how they couldn't possibly invite a stupid ninja onto their team.

" Yes, Sango I would appreciate that very much."


	6. A New Name For A Lost Man

**I apologize, readers, for the late update. I've been kinda busy creating my other fanfic (and many more which are floating in my thought bubble for the present). So for right now, I gotta say thank you for your patience :)**

**\- MillenniumCount**

* * *

_If comrades that you trust gather around you, hope can take physical form and become visible. That`s what I believe..._

\- _Hatake Kakashi_

The group of now, seven travelers, slowly descended the hill that led to Kaede's village.

Inuyasha was in front, as usual with Kagome rolling her bike down a little ways behind him with Shippo and the yellow backpack perched comfortably in the front basket. Miroku and Sango were in the back having a private conversation.

" Honestly, Miroku, what are you so worried about?" Was Sango's voice in a slightly hushed tone.

" I just find it strange, don't you?"

" Pfff. Of course I find it strange, but that doesn't mean why you're so worried. "

" I've never heard of any ninja that moves or fights the way he has. He seemed even faster than Koga, when he twisted himself to escape the hold you had on him. And towards the end, when he formed those, _copies, _of himself. And they were solid, not even a simple illusion. Something's not right here."

" But...wouldn't we sense some demonic chakra of some sort when he's so close, especially if you think he's probably not human?"

" You definitely would." A familiar voice quipped over their shoulders. Miroku and Sango promptly jumped. The seal expert started to glare suspiciously at Kakashi as he continued to smile unflinchingly at them.

" That doesn't mean for sure that you aren't a demon." Miroku tossed out. Kakashi stared at him for a few seconds, then smiled.

" Of Course not, but you have no choice but to trust me, now don't you?" His stare was starting to become creepy by now. Shippou, sensing the heavy atmosphere around their little group, jumped onto Sango's shoulders. His naive smile broke Kakashi out of his fixation for the moment.

" Hey, we still haven't found a name for you yet!" Shippou exclaimed.

Inuyasha groaned. " He doesn't need a stinkin name, he barely even talks! Who needs a name when all they do is sit in the shadows all day long?"

" Who needs a name when all they do is eat ramen?" Shippou shot back.

" What about Daiki?" Kagome suggested. The name sounded good to her ears, and it fit the masked man's naive personality. If that was his personality at all, Kagome was starting to doubt herself.

" It's okay." Daiki said, shrugging before crossing his arms and continuing to walk. But continuing to hear Miroku and Sango bicker about if he was suspicious or not, made him sigh.

Daiki then stopped when he wandered across a sight that nearly made him break down.

A cherry blossom.

The stray leaf wandered across the wind like a lost ship searching for a light house. It seemed to hover for a moment, before, like magic, slowly floated towards him.

He held out his hand and caught it.

_' Live.' _A woman's voice called out to him. Daiki startled, and nearly dropped it. Unbidden, a lone tear quietly slipped down his cheek, Daiki stared at it in shock. Then he lowered his head so nobody could see.

All this went unnoticed by the inu gang.


End file.
